Vilasini Menon was a Singaporean lawyer and politician. She became the first woman elected to national office in Singapore when she was elected to the Legislative Council in 1951.
Vilasini Menon | |
|---|---|
| Member of the Legislative Council | |
| In office 1951–1952 | |
| Succeeded by | M. P. D. Nair |
| Constituency | Seletar |
Biography
editMenon attended the University of Madras and worked as a lawyer.[1][2]
In the April 1951 elections she contested the Seletar constituency as an independent candidate, defeating two men to win with 43% of the vote.[3] She was the only independent candidate to be elected the council,[4] and was one of two female members alongside Elizabeth Choy, who was nominated by the Governor.[5]
However, after Menon and her husband were charged with a criminal breach of trust in India, she resigned from the council on 25 September 1952. Although she was acquitted in February the following year, she did not return to politics.[6]
References
edit- ^ Chor Lin Lee, Chung May Khuen & May Khuen Chung (2012) In the Mood for Cheongsam, p152
- ^ Aline Kan Wong & Wai Kum Leong (1993) Singapore Women: Three Decades of Change, Times Academic Press, p285
- ^ Legislative Council general election 1951: Seletar[usurped] Singapore Elections
- ^ Six elected: Labour gets 2 seats: Woman Independent wins The Straits Times, 11 April 1951
- ^ C.M. Turnbull (2009) A History of Modern Singapore, 1819-2005, p284
- ^ Legislative Council by-election 1952[usurped] Singapore Elections